I'm primarily a bream fisherman, no bonefish, salmon, swordfish, tarpon,grayling, sailfish, etc., - maybe a bass with poor eyesight or even a wayward catfish. I would trout fish if I could find a trout stream. I fish mostly in farm ponds. My fly casting style is as Pat MacManus described, a woman chasing a bat with a broom. At best, it ain't a thing of beauty to watch and I don't go into orgasmic delight at the sight of a fish rising. We do practice "catch and release" - into hot peanut oil. I like a 8 1/2 or 9' rod, using a 5,6 or 7 wf line. I use wet or dry flies, even nymphs, some small popping bugs. I found something that looked like a piece of belly-button lint the other day and when it stuck in my finger, I found that I had a size 22 or 24 fly attached to my anatomy, and (Horrors!) use the same line and leader - if I want it to sink, I either wait until it gets good and wet or switch to an old (1950's) HDH Cortland line. I dress my line occasionally - maybe annually. Oh, another reason to be considered an outcast, I use an ancient Perrine or Martin automatic reel - I think I might be able to live with one of the non-automatic single action reels - I have a very old Montgomery Ward model that operates more like a cheap grindstone so I just don't use it but can't throw it away. Having just passed my 72nd birthday, I'm looking for a "really good" rod and reel. I would ask you more experienced members to recommend that costs less than a new car. I've considered Sage but there are probably rods that are as good or better maybe just without the snob appeal(I don't drive a Beamer, just a noisy old Ford diesel). The fish I encounter are not impressed with brand names and I'm too damned old to try to impress anybody I might be fishing with. I think I would prefer American Made but I'm open to options. My old rods are graphite rods that I've made myself 2 Jann's blanks and 1 Fenwick World Class. Oh, and I don't know whether to trust 4 piece rods - I think I might prefer a 2 piece. Can anyone suggest a rod and reel that would fit an angler like me or should I check the salvage stores? dunno.

cgator.
I think that you should look for a rod on e-bay then throw one of the reels that you already own on it. As for the 2 piece; 4 piece rods ferrules are no longer the problem that they were back in our day. What I've studied there isn't that much loss of feel at each ferrule anymore, and surely not as much breakage. They will still stick (I watched a flyshop trying to get two sections apart). Big plus is transporting the 4 piece. I own a 2 and 4's. I will always opt for the 4 piece from now on.